


The Mad Monarch

by Bennu_Halcyon



Series: Second times the charm [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hawk Moth is bad at his job, Miraculous users only club, Mrs. Agreste is not paid enough for this, Mrs. Agreste is the peacock, Mrs. Agreste isn't dead, Multi, Nobody Dies, Not Beta Read, Time Travel, evilize is now a word apparently, i think, not so perfect superheroes, second generation superheroes, thank you Mr. Astruc, the kids are not alright
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-15 03:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10549180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bennu_Halcyon/pseuds/Bennu_Halcyon
Summary: being a second generation superhero is hard. being the heroic successor to a villain is worse.it's senior year for Marinette Dupain-Cheng and that's the least of her problems. with the introduction of a butterfly that can turn Paris into a fun house, a ladybug that can't forgive, a chat noir that hates everyone, and a peacock with more questions than answers, things have become complicated. As ladybug, Marinette must learn to work with these strange arrivals and help them return home. If she can't then she will learn that the devistation hawk moth creates extends not only to herself, but her and Chat noir's future as well.





	1. The bad begining

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had come out to have a good time and was honestly feeling so attacked right now.one of her pigtails had been pulled loose and the dress she was wearing was soaked in scummy water. Unsurprisingly it was the fault of the one and only Chloe Bourgeois. Marinette disregarded herself and knelt to help the girl that had fallen beside her. Only to be startled by the girl sobbing.  
“My dress is ruined. I spent months to make this for the annual junior designers contest” she wailed  
“I’m sure with a little soap and hard work it’ll be good as new.” marinette tried to assuage her despair.  
“It’s no use.” The girl sobbed as she fingered a tear in the silk fabric. Marinette frowned at Chloe, who stood atop the nearby hill that she had just tumbled down. Chloe and Adrien were arguing. Marinette pulled the girl to her feet and helped her to a nearby bench.  
“Sit here. I’ll be back in a second. Okay?” she said. The girl only sobbed in reply. Marinette walked quickly up the hill.  
“How could you do that Chloe?” Adrien asked the other blond.  
“Honestly i did her a favor. She would have been laughed out of the room with that dress.” Chloe responded.  
Marinette didn’t hear any more because then Alya appeared blocking her field of vision.  
“I’m so sorry. Are you alright. Do you need me to get the first aid kit? I had no idea that Chloe would do something like that.” she glared at the girl in question.  
“I’m more worried about Chloe’s other victim.” marinette said pointing down hill at the crying girl. Alya’s glare intensified. “Don’t do anything rash Alya. If you get suspended you might miss graduation.”  
“It be worth it.”  
“No!” Adrien looked over at Marinette’s shout. She blushed and waved awkwardly in greeting. He walked over to Marinette leaving a pouting Chloe.  
“I’m so sorry Marinette. I’m so glad you’re okay. We should stop somewhere and get these bruises iced.”  
“I’m...uh not...not fine. I mean i’m fine” she stuttered. Alya squealed. Marinette turned to see what it was about to find her fawning over some cosplayers a few meters away. There was a boy cosplaying as ladybug. He had the usual spandex black spotted suit with a red ribbon tied loosely around his throat with two lady bug like stones in it. His partner was chat noir. The girl had of course made some modifications. The cuffs and collar of her suit had some sort of fur and she possessed a chunky set of what was best described as combat heels. Her left arm sported a brace with a green paw print. Alya frowned. They were yelling at some boy cosplaying Hawkmoth. Said cosplayer was wearing a iridescent blue suit with lavender purple sleeves and legs. All unified by a swirling white pattern. All three wore masks.  
“This is all your fault Monarch!” the ladybug said to the boy in the suit.  
“I’m sorry.” monarch’s voice quavered  
“You can’t let your champions run about.” the Chat noir said.  
“I thought I had them under control this time.”  
“You thought wrong.” the ladybug counters. “If you can’t control your champions then don’t summon them.”  
“But then how will I help you two?” the Hawk Moth, Monarch asked.  
“Ladybug and I have been thinking.” Chat noir began “ maybe you should give your miraculous to someone else.”  
“What ?” Monarch was shocked  
“I mean it’s reasonable.” the Ladybug began. “You inherited your miraculous. Perhaps you’re not compatible.”  
“ but I’m trying!” Monarch defended  
“Trying isn’t good enough. People get hurt the longer you try. Trying is useless” counters the Ladybug  
“But,”  
“No!” the ladybug cut the boy off. “Sit here and don’t touch anything. Chat noir and I will find the turtle. Hopefully they’ll fix your mess” with that the two cosplayers ran, scaled a nearby building with staff and yo-yo, and took of into the distance.  
“I get the feeling those aren't cosplayers” said Adrien  
“Let’s find out!” Alya cheered as she walked to the boy.  
“Alya! What if Adrien’s right. And you’re not listening.” marinette turned to andien for help only to find him talking quickly into his phone. She sighed.  
“This is Alya of the Ladyblog. Here with the latest content. So tell me mr Monarch. What inspired you to cosplay as the notorious villain hawkmoth?”  
“Cosplay? I’m not cosplaying.” he said genuinely confused  
“Talk about dedication folks.”  
“You mentioned Hawkmoth?”  
“Yes. Paris’s notorious villain.”  
“Oh no. then that means we didn’t travel to some other city. We traveled back in time.” Alya was startled.  
“Did...did you say time travel?”  
“It was an accident. But ladybugs right. It’s still my fault.”  
“What?”  
“I didn’t mean to lose control of that champion.”  
“Wait, slow down.” Alya tells him  
“I’m trying to be a good butterfly. They just expect me to turn out like Hawkmoth!” he began to cry.  
“Hold on now. I’m sure they didn’t mean it.” Marinette said then gasped. For a black butterfly flew over to the boy landing on a silver broach nestled in his dark hair. Alya saw this and fell off the bench in shock. A cool crisp voice cut through the air.  
“Salutations Antimachus I am Hawkmoth. It’s such a shame that all the effort you expend is never appreciated. Now if you-”  
“No!” the boy cuts him off  
“What!” Hawkmoth was taken aback. “You can’t reject me!”purple smoke began to condense around the boy only to dissipate. “Impossible!”  
“Rule one of the butterfly miraculous Hawkmoth. The butterfly shall not possess another active miraculous user.” Monarch said as a white butterfly left the boys hairpin. It landed softly in his palm.  
“It’s all your fault you know. It’s your fault the butterfly is damaged.” he brought the butterfly to up to his face. “You're the reason I can’t control my champions. You're the reason Ladybug and Chat noir don’t respect me.” he blew on the butterfly and it’s wings became stained with a fluorescent blue light. “But I should thank you. You’ve given me an idea. I’ll take your miraculous. as well as Ladybug’s and Chat noir’s. And i’ll make a better world. A world where i’m the hero and you can’t stop me.” with that the butterfly flew off. Down the hill it went to the crying girl in the silk dress. It landed on fabric and disappeared.  
“Silk maiden. Hello, I am Monarch. I am so sorry that this has happened to you. It’s awful to have one's work ruined by selfish hands. It’s foul to have one told that their efforts are wasted. Perhaps we can help one another? I can give you the power to show the world your efforts. All I ask is for the miraculous of Ladybug, Chat noir and Hawkmoth so that I may prove myself as well.” the girl curtsied.  
“Of Course Monarch.” her form was enveloped in pastel blue light. When it faded her dress was fixed and died a cobalt blue. Her hair was plaited into a braid and a large pastel pink bow was tied around her waist. It’s ends flitted about like tentacles on a squid.  
“We need to go now!” Marinette grabbed Alya’s hand and they began to run towards her house a few streets over. She looked back and found Adrien tugging Chloe along.  
“If anyone's interested that call was from Nino.” he said.  
“Oh how did the surgery go?” Alya said as they rounded the corner to the bakery.  
“Fine. he’s in recovery.” he answered.  
Marinette threw open the door to the bakery and locked it when the others were inside.  
“Marinette, what’s wrong?” her mother said from behind the counter.  
“There was an akuma.”  
“Don’t worry Ladybug and Chat noir will take care of it. Would you all like some snacks.” She asked their guests.  
“I’ll be upstairs. I need to change and check the windows.” she quickly ran up stairs and locked the door. Tiki, the ladybug Kwami flew out of her purse and then marinette’s phone rang. It was Alya.  
“Hello?” she asked.  
“What are you doing marinette?” alya asked  
“Locking the windows and cleaning up.”  
“You do that while Adrien ‘fuck me i’m hot’ Agreste, fashion model extraordinaire is in your house. Eating your food.” at this marinette started towards her door only to be stopped by a not so happy tiki.  
“I’ll be right down. I need to wash the mud from my hair. Bye!” marinette hung up before her best friend could get a word in edgewise.  
“ okay let's do this. Is there some trick to fighting two akuma's at once” the girl asked.  
“There was only one akuma marinette.” Tiki told her grimly.  
“ wait but that doesn’t make any sense. The book we found said that only hawkmoth could create akuma's. There can’t be two?”  
“You’re correct.” the kawami said. “That’s what worries me.”  
“How about we ask master Fu. he might know what’s going on.”  
“Good idea, but check on chat noir first. He’s bound to have gotten news of this.” Tiki told her.  
“Alright tiki, spots on!’

\-------Monarch, chat noir and Ladybug.----  
Ladybug and Chat noir were startled when the glowing image of monarch appeared in the sky.  
“I told him not to touch anything!” ladybug groaned.  
“I’m sure it’s nothing bad.” chat noir said twirling a lock of her hair  
“I have bad news” said the image.  
“He’s not serious?” she asked  
“I am very much serious” monarch said  
“Oh i’m just two for two”  
“Will you shut up?” Ladybug groaned.  
“Citizens of Paris I am Monarch successor to Hawkmoth. Worry not I wish not my selfish desires upon you like my predecessor. I simply wished to do good in this world. However, my Ladybug and Chat noir have denied me that right out of fear. They believe that I am no better than my predecessor. I have been cornered. I have no choice. I must prove my worth by collecting the miraculous of Hawkmoth along with My ladybug and Chat noir. I have enlisted some of you too help me. The image of a boy sprawled on the street next to a box of chocolates appeared. A fluorescent blue butterfly landed on the box.  
“Bittersweet, I am Monarch. It's awful how such sweet confectionaries become bitter with harsh words. I can give you the power to make people understand your woes. For I understand the cruel hand of rejection. May we find comfort together.”  
“Sir, yes sir!” the boy stood and shouted. His clothes were awash in blue light as they transformed. Simple clothes were warped into the bright pastels of children's confections. He hooked the now fixed box on his waist and formed a licorice whip in his other hand.” I do as you command.  
“Citizens of paris!” Monarch said once again. “ I wish not to bring you harm. But, some battles must be fought in the physical sense. Good day.” and with that monarchs projection vanished.  
“Well that’s great.” chat noir said voice laced with faux happiness.  
“I told you so.” ladybug sing songed. Chat noir really wanted to slap him. She would wait till they were transformed. That way it would leave a mark.  
“Your an ass” she told him  
“I’m an ass who’s right.” he amended  
Chat noir was honestly so close to clocking him in the jaw. She was saved from committing murder by the presence of their predecessors alighting on the roof top. The four looked at each other. And then her Ladybug had to say something stupid.  
“Damn, chat noir's totally hot.” he said to her gesturing to the man in the cat suit. “Like I’d totally tap that if I didn’t have a boyfriend.” Chat noir raised her hand and hit him in the back of the head.  
“Idiot.” she hissed. “I am so sorry.” she told the other two. She glared at her Ladybug.  
“Oww!” he groaned rubbing the back of his head.  
“So do either of you know where the guardian is? We’d find him ourselves but, someone made our miraculous finder go crazy and create akumas.  
“I’m still right!” exclaimed the male Ladybug.  
“It’s uh… it’s this way.” said the female Ladybug. She pointed east. Follow me.” she took off.  
“So,” said the male Chat noir.  
“I’m so sorry.” the female Chat noir said  
“Do you think i’m hot?” he asked her  
She groaned and smacked him on the back of the head. She jumped off the roof and extended her staff.  
“Don’t drag your feet or i’ll cut them off.” she called back as she took off after ladybug, This day could not get any worse.


	2. The Missing Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which thirty years have passed and a certain woman has not aged a single day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is honestly my first time posting anything. also it's not beta read in case anyone wondering. Feel free to tell me if you like it or hate it. Be honest. that's the best way for me to improve. Also I did a simple sketch of Le paon. would anyone like to see it?

“Things could be worse.” Said Alice Agreste. When she awoke she wound herself in a box. Her first thought was to kill whoever put her in it. Her second thought was how to get out.  
“Duusu, can you hear me?” She called.  
“Yes Alice. Loud and clear.” Came the high pitched reply.  
“Good. It’s show time!” In a flurry of green and cobalt light she transformed, tearing her boxy prison to pieces. Le paon looked about and was surprised to find that she was in an attic of sorts. Boxes upon boxes sat in layers of dust. Thankfully she spotted a nearby door. As she walked towards it, plated fan raised to attack all she heard was the scrape of her spiked heels on the old wood floor. When she reached the door she found it locked. She kicked it open. She winced at the loud bang it made. What she found was a long Hallway that looked oddly familiar. It was also very dusty. “This place hasn’t seen a good bit of care in years from the look of it.” she waved in front of her summoning glittery gale of wind. She used it to carve a path through the dust. After a few wrong turns she managed to find her way to the entrance. It was also locked. Actually it was boarded up, she noted. She turned back to search for some sort of wedge. That’s when she saw it. It was honestly quite large. She had no idea she missed in the first place. It was a painting of her husband Gabriel and a boy. Gabriel looked so old. It was actually terrifying. The boy was a mystery. The longer she stared at his blond hair and green eyes the larger the feeling of dread in her stomach became. Then like cold seawater on the shore she realized something. The boy was her son. Her sweet Adrien. He wasn’t the boy of ten years that she remembered. He was so much older. He was almost a man. This can’t be true. She let the transformation drop and sank to the ground. The large amount of dust made it rather disgusting. This was her home. She looked about at the layers of dust. It had been empty for a long time.  
“Duusu how much have i missed?” she asked  
“Alice.”  
“Tell me.” she commanded  
“T-three decades. Give or take a few years.”  
“Three decades. It can’t be.” she whimpered. She wanted to cry. Fall apart. Break something, but she wouldn’t do any of that. First she needed to find out why she had awoken here and now.  
“I’m sorry,” Duusu sobbed “I tried to save you but it backfired. The energy expended forced me to go dormant. I accidentally dragged you along.” the kwami cried piteously. Alice scooped up the poor creature.  
“It’s alright.” she said. Was she talking to herself or Duusu? She had no idea  
\---Alice Agreste---  
She ended up climbing through a chimney to find her way out of what was once her home. She dared not break a window and let the elements in. Paris was different. The buildings were the same. The people were different. They all kept their heads down and didn’t talk to one another. They walked quickly and traveled in twos at the most. She tapped a girl walking by on the shoulder. The girl looked up at her.  
“ what are you doing?” the girl asked. “Keep your head down.” alice took her advice and began to follow the girls lead by emulating her hunched posture.  
“I’ve been away for quite some. Could you tell me what’s going on?” Alice asked  
“You mean you don’t know?” Alice nodded in answer to the question.  
“ Rewanda servant of the black butterfly is terrorizing the city.” the girl whispered. “Usually Chat noir, Ladybug, and Monarch the butterfly take care of people like her. The butterfly’s champion went rouge and Rewanda used the opening to make them disappear. We’ve been at her mercy ever since.” a shadow fell over them.  
“You're a chatty one.” said someone. The girl was lifted into the air by Rewanda. The akumatized teenage girl wore a magician's outfit covered in clock faces of all sizes. In her left hand she griped a silver wand with a miniature cuckoo clock at the end. people scattered and Alice ran as well. She took refuge in a side alley.  
“Ready Duusu?” the kawami nodded. “Show Time.” one transformation later and Le paon hopped up to the nearest roof to confront the villain. “ Le paon ready to perform.”  
“More superheros. You idiots crawl out of the woodwork don’t you.”  
“I’m gonna say yes.” Le paon answered  
“Well Le paon, looks like you’ve run out of time.” Rewanda dropped the poor hit. She tumbled a few feet to the pavement where she ran away screaming. Rewanda flicked her wrist launching a shimmering black bolt of magic a Le paon. The superhero rolled out of the way  
“Looks like somebody needs a time out.” Le paon flicked her fan sending out the slates of her fan like daggers.  
“Ha. You missed” laughed rewanda as she settled down near the fallen slates.  
“Did I?” asked Le paon. She snapped the frame of her fan shut. The slates exploded in bursts of blue and green glitter knocking rewanda forward. Her wand when flying  
“Ah. it’s everywhere.” the villain groaned. Le paon grabbed the wand that has flown free in the blast.  
“Didn’t your mother tell you not to play with things that don’t belong to you. She snapped it in two and was surprised when a black butterfly floated out. It fluttered away before she could catch it. She tried to chase after only to find her feet swept out from under her. She looked behind herself to find a glowing portal where rewanda once stood.the vortex was pulling in things from all around it.thankfully no one was nearby except for her. Try as she might he fingers could not find purchase on the street. She struggled in vain As she was drawn into the vortex she could only think  
‘Why does this always happen to me.’  
\----Monarch and Le paon---  
Monarch was having a lovely time. Nothing like a bright sunny day at the top of the Eiffel tower. Perfect for watching Bittersweet kick Hawk moth’s newest akuma into the dust. Silk maiden stood behind him ready to jump in should she be needed. He was startled when a woman in a peacock themed outfit tumbled out of thin air onto the observation deck.  
“Oww!” she groaned rubbing her head  
“Oh and who might you be?” he asked extending a hand to help her up.  
“Le paon.” she told him as she grasped his hand.  
“Now why does your name sound familiar? Nevermind.” he shook his head. Want to see something cool?” he asked. He smiled brightly at her.  
“Sure” she said smiling back. He stood. That was when she realised that he was Monarch the current butterfly. Large fluorescent wings shimmered on his back. He raised his arms skyward and said  
“Butterfly house!” pastel butterflies fountained from his hands. They filled the sky like a blanket. She couldn’t see the sun. the insect army was so large it created a small rumbling from the individual wing beats. Deciding he had enough, Monarch brought his hands down. The butterfly rained down on the city. Shining silver comments breaking the darkness. When they landed they burst into light. Everywhere they hit, reality twisted. Straight things bent and colors became over saturated. Splashes of vibrant yellow, blue, and pink. Le paon was started as the platform under her buckled slightly. She tried to calm her fear impulse but was too late Monarch turned and saw it.  
“You don’t like it?” He said looking down green eyes filling with tears. Le paon reached out to him only to have her hand slapped away.  
“You're just like the rest of them.” he shouted. His green eyes darkened until even the whites were black.  
“No!” Said Le paon. “I thought it was quite interesting.”  
“Liar.” He hissed. “You can share their fate. Silk maiden, Destroy her.”  
Silk maidens ribbons struck out at Le paon, but were to slow. Le paon had jumped over the side of the observation deck and taken off into the city. She needed to find the turtle. As she ran she picked one of the feathers from the crest across her chest. It hardened into a dagger. She stopped and dug in her heels when silk ribbons cropped up around her. Forming a cage.  
“It’s not nice to run away from a friend.” Teased monarch.  
“Thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to use it when I meet up with my friends later.”  
“Oh. Hardy har. Give me your miraculous. I know you have one. You're the peacock wielder.”  
“And how would you know that. Maybe my husband has a thing for animal themed superheroes?”  
“That’s gross, and there was a drawing of that.” he points at the peacock shaped brooch on her right shoulder. “In a book in my mother’s attic.  
“No! And when I get out of this here cage you are grounded young man.” Le paon swiped uselessly at the ribbons around her.  
“Just try me, grandma.” He said and began to cluck mockingly.  
“How dare you!” Le paon shouted. “I'll have you know that I am thirty three. Also I am no lowly chicken.” She hurled the feather at monarch and disappeared in a puff of green glitter. The feather sailed true. Before it could piece Monarch it disappeared in a puff of blue glitter and was replaced with Le paon. She swiped at the startled butterfly. He took the full hit and plummeted to the ground.  
“You are grounded mister.” She laughed as she landed delicately on a nearby roof.  
Monarch groaned as he struggled to feet. Le paon took that as her cue to exit stage right. She grabbed another feather and hurled it over paris’s rooftops. With that she disappeared in a puff of green glitter.  
\---Master Fu and Alice---  
When master Fu opened the mail slot of his door and a flying dagger zoomed through, his first thought was that his many greats granddaughter Mary-Anne was in town. When he turned around found Le paon standing in his place of business his next thought was of trouble.  
“Alice. It has been some time since your face has graced my presence. What has roused the kwami of justice from his slumber.”  
“No idea.” Le paon disappeared and in her place stood Alice with Duusu resting in her palm. Master Fu reached into one of his pockets and tossed something to her. Alice was happy to find that it was a bag of seeds. She carefully tapped some out next to Duusu who mumbled his thanks.  
“It's been eight years for Gabriel and Adrien” Fu told her taking no pleasure in the act. It was then that wayzz appeared in a cloud of green smoke.  
“Master! I bring strange news! I sense duplicates of the ladybug and Black cat miraculous. I also glimpsed the sight of a second butterfly user.”  
“Are you sure, wayzz? Such a thing is theoretically impossible.”  
“I am sure master” Wayzz confirmed  
“But how?”  
“I think I might have the answer” interjected Alice the turtle kwami turned and noticed her  
“Alice it has been some time.” greeted Wayzz.  
“Yes it has. When I woke Dussu told me about Thirty years had passed. I found Paris subject to the terror of someone called the black butterfly. A girl told by superheroes by the name of Ladybug, Chat noir, and monarch disappeared. Rewanda’s defeat sent me here. I met monarch the butterfly.” She pointed to the twisted landscape outside the window at the twisted landscape of the city. “He did that.”  
“Oh. When did that happen?” Fu asked with genuine interest.  
“You didn’t notice?” Alice was surprised  
“It must have occurred during my stretches.”  
“You didn’t see the flashing lights?”  
“I was wearing a rejuvenating face mask.”  
“What about the screaming?”  
“I was listening to an Italian opera.”  
“Why were you chosen to become the guardian?” alice sighed. Sometimes Fu got on her nerves.  
“I’m an excellent judge of character.” Fu told her. Rap rap. There was a knock at the door.  
“You best transform.” He said. “I’m expecting some rather miraculous guests.” He walked to the door.  
“Ready Duusu?” Alice asked.  
“Yep”  
“Good. It’s showtime.”


	3. The faux forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which code names are given, a certain boy fails at something, and three Kwamis feel terrible about events long past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at some point i'll post a piece titled Exit the Dragon about a certain kwami mentioned in this chapter. feel free to comment. i really want to know what you guys think.

David smith, also known as ladybug the second, or ladybug jr, if you asked chat noir, was not having a good day. It was obviously all Monarch’s fault. If a miraculous can’t be controlled properly then it shouldn’t be used. Simple as that. Currently the two ladybugs, Chat noir's, master Fu, and his glittery guest were all crammed in the old man's sitting room.  
“First things first.” Said the female Chat noir. “For simplicity's sake you will all refer to me as Miss fortune.” She jabes an elbow in David’s ribs. Right he needed a code name.  
“Uh.. Call me Mariquita.”  
“Miss fortune, Mariquita, Le paon hails from your time. She like you has been sent here through malicious means.” Said Fu. Le paon stood. She twirled fanning out the feathered cape of her outfit.  
“It's a pleasure to meet you all.” she said airily  
“Likewise Le paon.” Said ladybug  
“How shall we deal with this problem?” Asked Chat noir.  
“We’ll split into two teams.” Ladybug began. “Each team will need a ladybug so akumas can be purified.”  
Miss fortune cleared her throat “that won’t work.” She said. She looked at Mariquita pointedly. He hung his head in what clearly shame and mumbled something unintelligible.  
“What was that dear? It's alright you can tell us.” Said Le paon.  
“I said, I can’t purify akuma's.” The room was silent.  
“Do you know why?” The question came from chat noir.  
“Because I can’t. That's why!” He yelled  
“Oh don't be such a baby.” Miss fortune hissed.  
“At least I can use lucky charm. You can’t use cataclysm because I goes haywire. You’re more useless than I am.” He shot back. It was obvious the two had this fight before. And from the looks of it it was going to get physical. Le paon appeared between the two and forced them apart.  
“Sit down. The two of you will behave properly.” She said, voice calm and quiet, but dripping with a tone commanding no nonsense. The two teens grudgingly took their seats.  
“Well that throws a wrench in the plan. If you don’t mind. How did you purify the akumas from your time?” Asked master Fu.  
“We had monarch doing that for us. That's why he’s so dangerous now. We have no way to combat him.” Answered Miss fortune.  
“Then if Monarch was fixing the akumas what was making them?” It was Chat noir again.  
“The butterfly miraculous of course.” Mariquita states  
“Allow me to clarify.The miraculous were never meant to be used for evil. They were meant to battle outside forces, not each other. All that negative energy hawkmoth poured into the butterfly damaged it. Master Fu spent a decade trying to fix it. Eventually he and the kwami Nooroo decided that the best way to fix it was naturally.” Miss fortune said.  
“Nooroo found a holder and Monarch came about. Nooroo uses the positive energy of Monarch to combat the negative. Not that that helped ” Continued Mariquita. He earned a glare from Miss fortune for that last bit.  
“There is a side effect however.” Said Fu understanding where things were going. “The negative energy is expelled and sometimes manifests as an akuma.” He finished.  
“We defeat hawk moth?” Everyone turned to ladybug  
“Yes you do and no we will not tell you who they are.” Said Mariquita. Ladybug was about to object when Chat noir spoke.  
“I agree with him my lady. Where time travel is concerned information is on a need to know basis.” he explained. Ladybug would have argued had her yo-yo not decided that was the perfect time to give of a high pitched beep.  
“Looks like the conflict between akuma's has escalated.” she said observing the objects screen. “Chat noir and I will handle it. Master Fu can you find somewhere for theses three to sleep.” She said  
“Worry not ladybug. They are safe with me. Now hurry along it will be dark soon.” he told her  
And with that the two superheroes left leaving only four remaining.  
\---Alice, David, Fu, and violet---  
Master fu withdrew three white marbles from his pockets. Their smooth milky surface shined in the fluorescent light.  
He tossed one to each of them.  
“While the ladybug miraculous has innate purifying powers that does not mean that it is the only one that can purify corruption. Now do as I do. He showed a fourth marble in his palm. He then covered it with his other hand and the other three followed suit.  
“Think of something that makes you angry, of a time when the odds were against you, when the universe unfairly singled you out. Think of sadness. Think of a time when you made a mistake or lost something dear to you. Take these emotions and focus them on the marble.” Fu instructed. All that followed was the sound of quiet breathing as his students concentrated.  
“Now remove your hand.” he told them. Each superhero did and was surprised because the marbles had changed. The pure white surface was replaced with a glossy black finish.  
“Here comes the hard part.close your hands once again and think of forgiveness. Think of that which was not intentional. Akumas are but people twisted by the butterfly’s power. They are people who are hurt and angry. With that power they lash out. Think of forgiveness” It was silent once again. His three students closed their eyes in concentration. They snapped open when a loud crack resounded in the room. Each checked their marble. Le paon’s was restored to it’s original white state. Miss fortune’s was a smoky grey. Mariquita’s was still jet black and now sported a jagged split down the middle. He dropped it.  
“This is stupid. I told you it wouldn’t work.” he said.  
“That is enough for today.” master Fu told his students. “The building next to this place is usually used by my grand daughter. She is not in town so I doubt she will mind if it is used by you three.” he held out a key. Mariquita grabbed it as he ran out the door.  
“I’ll make sure that he doesn’t break anything.” Le paon told them as she followed the red and black teenager. Miss fortune trailed behind her.  
\---David smith---  
David was currently lying on the bed of the room he had claimed and was most certainly not crying. Definitely not. Nope. not one bit. If time had passed regularly since he left then Felix was probably texting him. Asking him where he was and who the hell he thought he was. This would be the fifth time david stood his boyfriend up after all. Technically it wasn’t his fault. It was Monarch’s fault. He turned his head to the window. Usually by now tikki would be trying to comfort him. Instead she was staring out the window.  
“Yo, tikki! You good?” he asked.  
“Don’t forget to brush your teeth.” she replied. Yep something was wrong. Screw his own misery. Tikki’s was more important. He wiped at his eyes and stood up.  
“Tikki. What’cha thinkin about?”  
“Nooroo” came the quiet response.  
“The butterfly kwami. He doesn’t get much of a break does he. First hawkmoth and now Monarch.”  
“It wasn’t always like this, back when she had his back.” Tikki sighed oh great she was being vague again.  
“Who? Trixxi?” he he asked.  
“No.”  
“Beebe?”  
“No,”  
“Well I’m out of female identifying kwamis. Who are you talking about?” David told her bluntly  
“Fiaan”  
“And she was?”  
“The dragon” tikki says with another sigh  
“There’s a dragon kwami. So cool!” david said.  
“Was” Tikki corrected. Oh, dead dragons are slightly less cool in his opinion.  
“What happened?”  
“Do you know why I chose you?” Tikki changed the subject. She wasn't very subtle.  
“Despite the fact that i’m not the best fit for this?” David finished the question  
“It’s entirely selfish. Each time I chose someone I make sure that there's something about them I can help with. Maybe if I help enough people Nooroo will forgive me for what I did.” Tikki told him  
“So i’m nothing more than a project”  
“They all start that way. Eventually I realise what i’ve done.” she turned to her chosen. “Do you want out?” she turned to face him.  
“No. not now.” David said  
“What?” this was not the answer the kwami expected.  
“Felix once told me that if I was so stubborn and refused to better myself then I should do the next best thing and help better other people. Ask me again when all this is over. I’ll probably say yes.  
Not now though. Not while everything's so messed up.”  
“Okay,” said the kwami  
“Don’t worry about Nooroo. I’m sure he’ll forgive you.” David said lightly nudging her with his thumb.  
\---violet---  
David’s such a whiny brat.” violet shouted at no one in particular.  
“Do you have a rock? Plagg asked. Odd, plagg usually asked for cheese.  
“I was not aware that it was my business as a teenage girl to carry rocks around in my purse.” she replied  
“Well do you?”  
“Yes, but that’s besides the point.”she told the kwami as she tossed him a sizable chunk. He grabbed it and flew over to the entrance to an exterior balcony. He settled on the railing and began to eat the rock much to violet's surprise.  
“Finally lost your taste for camembert?” she asked.  
“Nah. this is just what I eat when I think of my son.” Plagg told her.  
“You have a son? Is that allowed?”  
“It was a long time ago violet.”  
“Really?”  
“Before we left I got word that he fell in with the wrong crowd.”  
“Wow look at you being all parental.” violet teased  
“Ya know kid.” Plagg began  
“What?”  
“This taste like dirt” He made a gagging noise.  
“Well it is a rock.” violet observed.  
“My daughter used to eat these all the time. No idea how.”  
“You have a daughter too?”  
“Had, kid. Had.” plagg stressed “do you think my son will ever forgive me for what happened to her?”  
“You're probably asking the wrong person. Me and my mom don't always get along. She makes mistakes. She’s never done something that catastrophic though. We have arguments from time to time, but she means well and that’s important. I guess?” Violet told him.  
“Do you know why I don’t care violet?” Plagg asked not waiting for her answer. “It’s because it will hurt less when you leave. Tikki’s partners always gain something. Mine lose something. Whether it’s small or big, it’s just enough to make them take off the ring. It happened with the last one and it will happen with you.”  
“Well there goes my good mood.” violet said sarcastically.  
“I don’t care because I lost my daughter. Each of you kittens is like another kid. If I cried every time one of you left I’d be nothing but tears.  
“I’m so glad we had this talk.” violet told her kwami as she headed for the door. “I’m ordering a pizza.”  
“You and I both have ghosts violet. I just happen to have met mine” Plagg called after her.  
\---Nooroo---  
In a certain window in a certain mansion in a certain part of paris if one were to walk by they would glimpse a flash of purple. Nooroo reclined gently on the windowsill next to an orange. He gazed out across paris. He could feel himself out there among the buildings. He could feel that something was wrong. The energy was twisted and disturbed to the core. He was cannibalizing himself. In that moment Nooroo regretted all he’d done. What he regretted most was letting Fiaan go alone.  
“Forgive me.” he whispered.  
Nobody answered


	4. The Abnormal Arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which a wife wishes to strangle her husband, Marinette meets a boy with issues, some children get burned, and a stranger watches everything like a total creep.

Alice was honestly kind of freaking out. Here she was outside her former place of residence with only a pair of contacts and a black wig to alter her appearance. When she told fu she wanted to keep an eye on her son she asked him if he could magically alter her appearance. He gave her the wig and contacts and began spouting some nonsense about how people are blind when they refuse to look. If this plan fell through she would skin him. She entered the override code for the gate and slipped inside unnoticed. Luckily Gabriel had not changed the overrides in the time she’d been gone. She needed to up load the flash drive she had to natelie’s computer. That was of course if natalie still worked there. It would place a certain Alicia ‘ally’ Mariposa as the new personal assistant to a certain Adrien Agreste. She was relieved to find Natalie's desk unoccupied. She entered the override and plugged in the flash drive.  
“Watch the door.” she told her kwami as she began the download. Things were going smoothly. That was good. It lasted about eight minutes. When Duusu squawked to warn her of someone approaching she panicked. Thank god she had finished the alterations.  
She locked the computer and dropped the flash drive in the fancy boots she wore that day. Bag checks were common in the mansion if she remembered correctly  
She flinched slightly when the door opened. She had been expecting Natalie.instead she came face to face with Gabriel Agreste.  
“I’m calling security” he told her calmly as he fished a phone from his suit pocket.  
“You can’t throw me out.” ‘i’m your wife’ she finished mentally  
“Oh and why can’t I?” gabriel arched an eyebrow in that snobby ‘watch me’ look that honestly made Alice want to throw him out the nearest window.  
“I’m here for the new position sir.” she lied. “I’m to be the personal assistant of a certain-” she pulled a blank page from her purse. “Adrien Agreste. I am to notify his father that I begin my duties today.” she told Gabriel  
“I am his father. Gabriele Agreste. And you are miss-?” he extended a hand.  
“Alicia Mariposa.” she shook it enthusiastically.  
“Well miss Mariposa, my son will be down shortly. Wait for him in the foyer.” he turned to exit. “Also, any deviations my son makes from his schedule is to be reported to me immediately. Is that clear?” he waited for her answer.  
“Of course sir” alice assured him. As he walked away she secretly flipped him off.  
She quietly waved Duusu from his spot on the ceiling into her purse and strode out into the foyer. She took note of two things. Thee first was that her husband had already receded back to his study. The second was the presence of a fair haired boy at the top of the stairs. She almost choked when she set her eyes upon him. There was her little boy all grown up. He even had slight hints of facial hair.  
“Good morning Adrien.” she called to him. He startled when he heard her. Alice couldn’t help but mentally winch at that. Her son didn’t recognize her. Of Course he didn’t. She was suppose to be dead. Right.  
“H-hello?” he greeted her. He noticed his lapse in composure and quickly covered as he walked down to her. “Pardon my rudeness. You startled me. If I may ask what is your name?”  
“I’m Alicia Mariposa. I’ve been assigned as your new personal assistant. I’m to manage your schedules and offer any assistance you may need.” she looked at a watched she swiped from master Fu. It wasn’t stealing. More like borrowing in reimbursement for giving her only a wig and contacts. Magic would have been a lot safer.  
“I believe your academics are to begin soon. Shall we begin making our way.” she strode over and opened the front door for him to pass.  
“You’re coming with me.” it was more statement than question  
“Yes sir. I am to be at your disposal at all times.” she saw his fake smile grow at that. She almost didn’t catch it. He was so different from the boy she knew all those years prior.  
\---Marinette and Co.---  
When Marinette stumbled into the classroom she expected the usual fanfare. A snide comment from Chloe and a reprimand from the teacher. However, this time she crashed into a boy she had never met before. Her box of treats went flying and her drink came dangerously close to spilling. The boy uttered something close to a curse and glared at her. Marinette smiled sheepishly in apology. She saw the muscles in his arm tensed and swore he was going to get violent. Marinette had gotten into similar situations, but still it unnerved her. She watched as the tension melted from his arms and what she thought was a mixture of guilt and shame flash across his face.  
“Watch where you're going” he told her gruffly as he turned and walked over to the empty seat at her and Alya’s table. Well then. She sat down in her usual seat.  
“You're new here aren’t you?” she asked him.  
“Yeah. what’s it to ya?” he asked as he he tugged at the choker he wore. Two black stones shone under the artificial light.  
“Well I’m Marinette the class president.” she motioned to Alya. she put her phone down and spoke.  
“I’m Alya, her second.”  
“David. David Smith.” he pointed at Adrien and Nino’s table. A new girl sat with him. She was faired. Probably a bottle blonde. she was wear rather flashy looking clothes and had a silver gothic bracer on her left arm. She did not appear happy to be there.  
“That’s Violet Bourgeois. We’re from america.”  
“She related to chloe?” asked alya with a slight hint of disgust  
“Sort of. Not really.” he pulled out a wallet. “She’s okay in small doses. She’s got issues. Then again don’t we all.” he smiled as if told a good joke. He was looking at something in the wallet that Marinette couldn’t see from where she sat at the circular table. Alya saw it however.  
“Hey that boy looks like he could be Marinette’s brother.” she backpedaled. “Now now that I look at his face is shaped more like Adrien’s.”   
“Alya what are you talking about?”  
Marinette never got her answer because that was the time that fate chose to hurl two akumas through the nearby wall. It was Bittersweet and a girl who had the appearance of a flame.   
“I am Emberlla servant of hawkmoth. The toys of a lowly child will not defeat me.” she screamed  
Bittersweet slashed at her with his licorice whip. It phased through her body like water. She flinched a tiny bit.  
“We should probably get going.” marinette said to no one. David and Alya had disappeared. Great.  
\---miss fortune---  
“Plagg!” Violet called out. Damn her kwami. Why was he never where she needed him? “That’s it. Claws out!”  
“No! I don’t wanna go!” Plagg screamed as he was forcibly dragged from a nearby air vent.  
“You and me both,” she called out as the transformation washed over. She raced towards the scene to find ladybug and Mariquita already there. A Bronze medal in punctuality for her then.  
“What’s the sitch’ ” she asked.  
“Monarch has a bone to pick with hawk moth.” Mariquita told her  
“I meant about the akuma, numb skull!” she snapped.  
“Guys please!” ladybug groaned. “Can we focus?”she tossed her yo-yo around bittersweets legs and she pulled taut the string causing him to stumble. Embella used that chance to blast him with fire. Ladybug winced. This was going to be tough.  
“Is it hot in here?” asked Chat noir as he dropped in from the ceiling. “No? Just me?”  
“Less talk more fighting pretty boy” mariquita shouted as he ran and jumped delivering a flying kick to bittersweets torso. The two tumbled out of the room into the city beyond. “I'll follow him.” ladybug said as she cast her yo-yo outside and flew off.  
“So that leaves the cats to clean up this mess.” miss fortune complained.  
“Good thing were pawsitively astounding at our job.” chat noir said.  
“You’re not funny” miss fortune deadpanned as she backflipped out of the way of a stray fireball  
“I’m on fire” chat noir joked  
“You’re lame” miss fortune said as she vaulted at Emberella only to meet the ground as she phased through her. “This isn’t working. Any idea?” she called to her partner. She looked over to find the boy rolling on the ground in an attempt to putt out his smoking suit. “Oh that’s what he meant by on fire.”  
\--- ladybug and Mariquita---  
Bittersweet was too fast. They couldn’t keep up.the akuma opened a pouch on his waist and its contents spilled out onto the street. Ladybug and Mariquita slipped and stumbled on the small orb like candies that now littered street.  
“Lucky charm” booth heros yell creating twin spirals of magic. A penny dropped into Mariquita’s hand while a tube of ointment appeared before Ladybug.  
“Okay I can understand mine. But yours is kinda out there” mariquita said as he took off after bittersweet. Ladybug followed.  
“It says it’s for burns.” ladybug told him as she squints at the too small print on the tube.  
“Excellent all we have to do is treat his wounds and he’ll give us the akuma.” he said with sarcastic joy. He took his coin and threw it far ahead into the street where it bounced twice and came to rest harmlessly in the middle of a pedestrian crosswalk. At this point it just so happened that a little boy was crossing the street. He smiled with joy when he caught sight of the small coin. He bent to pick it up. It was of course at this time that a business man was crossing the street. He was arguing on his phone and failed to see the child. He tripped over the unaware child and lost his hold on the briefcase he was carrying. It slid across the street right into his Bittersweets fleeing feet. He fell to the ground with a gasp.  
“Gotcha!” ladybug yelled as she planted a foot on his back.  
“Your aggravating my burns ma’am.” was bittersweets curt response.  
“I’ve never known an akuma to make polite conversation.” ladybug tells him  
“Well miss, you are correct as i am a tenshi.”  
“Oh please, tell me you're not actually listening to him.” mariquita told her. “Just purify him already.  
“No, mariquita. Remember that tube of burn cream. Maybe it’s for him.” she told her partner as she hefted Bittersweet to his feet. She led him over to a bench while marquita muttered about justice. She’d deal with that later. She gently rolled up the charred remains of bittersweet’s sleeve and winched. The skin was blistered and inflamed.  
“Do you have any gauze?” she asked. Bittersweet dug in his pouch and removed a roll of plush fluffy fabric.  
“Will this do?” he asked  
“It will have to do.”  
She slathered the medicine on the affected area and bandaged it securely. Once done it was time for questions. Mariquita beat her to it  
“What the hell’s a tenshi?” he asked. Yeah ladybug would need to have a long talk about orderly conduct with him after this.  
“Akuma loosely translates to devil or demon. They are formed of negative energy. Monarch formed Silk maiden and I from positive energy. As such we’re are essentially the opposite of akumas. We are tenshi.” well that was interesting.  
“Wait.” Ladybug said. ”Why isn’t Monarch making you attack us?” Mariquita made a noise of agreement.  
“Simple miss, the voice of my lord has fallen silent.” Bittersweet told her  
“He’s untransformed?” mariquita asked  
“No, if so, then Emberella would have seared my arm clean off. When active the butterfly mitigates damage to their champions. This phenomena happened once before. After I was chosen. He disappears during these times and Silk maiden and I feel the cold of a dark cloud pass over us. When he returns he is confused.” bittersweet says.  
“How so?” prompts Ladybug.   
“He asks for the time and location. Then he proceeds to cry. When he returned he had these foul things about him.” bittersweet pulls a small glass jar from his pouch. Inside the jar flaps a frantic butterfly. It’s not the white of a neutral one. It’s not blue like the ones that created the tenshis. It’s not even purplish like the ones that Hawk moth creates. It’s a pure unsettling black. “He is completely unaware of their appearance unless directly told. This one escaped so I captured it. That was when Emberella attacked.” he tilts his head to the side and frowns. He then shoves the jar in ladybugs hands and stands.  
“The voice of my master sounds once again. It is time that I take my leave.” He bowed and took of running. Neither Ladybug nor Mariquita moved to stop them. Ladybug handed Mariquita the jar. Mariquita opened the jar as Ladybug spun her yo-yo to gain momentum. The black butterfly flew out into to cool morning air.  
“Time to de-eviliz!” ladybug shouted as she cast her yo-yo forward. It opened and snapped shut trapping the fragile insect. Then the yo-yo returned to her hands and opened once again to reveal a pale white butterfly.  
“Good-bye little butterfly.” she told it. She fully expected to fly off. Instead it surprised her by flying over to Mariquita and landing on his arm.  
“Tell monarch that i didn’t mean for this to happen.” he whispered.and with that the butterfly flew high into the sky, back to it’s master, back to the darkness.  
The two superheros were startled by a ringing from Mariquita’s yo-yo. He opened it revealing a call from Miss fortune.  
“All good here. We could really use a status quo reset.”  
“Right.” Mariquita said shaking his head. He tossed his yo-yo into the air.  
“Miraculous ladybug” he shouted. In a wash of pink light and insects the world was set right.  
\---mythos---  
On a nearby roof stood a lone figure. Even inside the shell of his scale armor he felt the gentle warmth of the reset. He couldn’t help but smile. Things were shaping up excellently. Perhaps things could go right this time. It would take much more than the pulling of strings though. Perhaps it was time for the dragon to enter the fray once again. He picked up a gold lance resting at his feet. Yes it was time to stop being a coward.it was time to attack with a butterflys grace and a dragons ferocity. As he walked the sun glanced off of the crest on his armor. It was a spiraling dragon. It’s glimmering green body coiled around itself. Amidst the dragon's teeth was an amethyst with four white wings.  
“Things will go nicely. They have to.” he said to the wind. The wind did not reply.


End file.
